Escape. I badly want to escape tonight. But no matter how hard I try, they will still find me. I am a pawn in their game, something they use whenever they desire, whenever they wish. Tonight, I am just a toy—trapped in a web I can't escape.
Today is the full moon. A night where all packs gather, as is tradition, for the transformations. It's a celebration for those who have found their mates, for those who have unlocked their powers. For me, it's nothing more than a painful reminder of everything I don't have.
I haven't unlocked my powers. My inner wolf still lies dormant, hidden deep within me. I am still human—still trapped in this form. I haven't found my mate, either. At 24, I am nothing but an outcast. Even among the Omega wolves, I am the lowest, the weakest.
As the wind picks up, the hair at the back of my neck stands on end. They're here. They knew I wouldn't go willingly. They've come for me.
I draw in a sharp breath and try to steady my shaking hands. I'm not in the mood to play games tonight.
"Show yourself," I shout, my voice breaking through the cold night air.
A low laugh rings in my ear, and I feel a chill slide down my spine. I know that laugh. I've heard it far too many times before.
"Xena." The voice is dripping with mockery. Damien. The son of the Beta family. He's the one they've sent to torment me tonight. The one who enjoys making my life miserable. The one who has made me a target every year.
Damien. The one who will likely be the future Beta of this pack.
Every year, he chooses a month—sometimes a specific night—and makes it his mission to break me. To humiliate me. And tonight, on this full moon, he's chosen to make me suffer again. He's made it his goal to remind me of how low I am. He enjoys it. It's like a game to him.
My body trembles, my legs shaking so much I feel like I might collapse right there. The fear claws at my chest, but I push it down. Screaming won't change anything. He's not here for mercy. He's not here to let me go. He wants to see me break.
I turn around, trying to locate him. The air smells like rain, like damp earth, but there's no sign of him. My heart hammers in my chest. I feel the breeze against my right ear, a familiar gust, but he's not there.
Damien is playing his game again—hide and seek. He's good at it. He enjoys it. He enjoys watching me squirm, watching me tremble in fear.
I force myself to breathe, trying to steady my nerves. But every step I take, every movement I make, I feel him lurking just out of sight. I can't shake the feeling that he's always there, watching me, waiting. He always has been.
For once, tonight, I try to run. I want to escape. I want to break free from the chains they've wrapped around my soul. The moment the silence thickens in the air, I slip out of my apartment. The Human are asleep—too drunk on celebration or too bored to care.
It's almost midnight.
My bare feet hit the cold concrete as I descend the stairs. One step, two steps—then I'm outside, gulping the night air like it's the only thing keeping me alive. I run. Fast. Desperate. Wild.
I don't know where I'm going. I just run. My heart pounds, my breath comes in ragged gasps, and still I don't stop. The shadows blur around me, and the cold wind lashes against my face, stinging like needles.
But it's all in vain.
After minutes of fleeing through the quiet streets, I slow down. My lungs scream for air. I stop beneath a flickering streetlight, pressing a hand to my chest, trying to steady the chaos inside me.
The moon is full, casting silver light across the darkened ground. My shadow stretches long and twisted, like a reflection of everything I've become.
Why me? I wonder, trembling. Why am I always the one who suffers? What did I ever do to deserve this?
The silence is heavy. Unnatural. Like the world itself is holding its breath.
"Damien," I whisper into the void, voice shaking, terrified. "Please."
But no answer comes. For a moment, I believe—foolishly—that maybe he's not here. Maybe I've escaped. Maybe, just this once, he's let me go.
Then I hear it—his footsteps. Soft. Measured. A predator's approach. My body goes rigid.
"You really think you can get away from me, poor Xena?" His voice is low, taunting, soaked in amusement.
I spin around, eyes wide, but I see nothing. Just trees and shadows. The wind whispers cruelly in my ears.
He's playing with me.
It's his favorite game—watching me break. What he doesn't know is that I've already shattered a thousand times. There's barely anything left.
"You're pathetic," his voice echoes again. I whip around—and there he is. Standing just behind me, too close. Too calm. His smug grin burns into my brain.
I want to scream, to run, to claw my way out of this nightmare. But I know it's no use. Damien is faster. Stronger. Protected. A Beta's son. Destined to rise. And me?
I'm just the Omega outcast. The one they never let forget.
"Get on your knees," he commands, voice suddenly sharp.
My stomach twists. What is he planning now?
"Damien, please," I beg, my voice barely a whisper. If he doesn't take me to the forest, I'll be left in the woods—no bruises, no blood, no pain. Just silence. The kind that swallows you whole.
In a flash, his hand wraps around my throat. He slams me back against a tree. The bark scrapes my spine. I gasp—choking—fingers clawing at his grip. Air leaves my lungs. My eyes sting.
"You follow commands, Xena," he snarls. "Next time you try this, I'll fucking kill you."
I believe him.
Maybe death would be better. But they won't let me have that mercy. They prefer torture.
He releases me and I crumple to the ground, coughing. Gasping.
"Now. On your knees."
I obey. What choice do I have? I kneel, hands resting on my lap.
"Not like that," he growls. "Like a wolf. Oh—right. Not a wolf. Like the dog you are."
He laughs—mocking, cruel.
Tears sting my eyes, but I force myself not to cry. I drop to all fours.
From his coat pocket, he pulls out a leash. My stomach lurches. He fastens it around my neck like I'm an animal.
"Crawl."
With a jerk, he tugs the leash and I stumble forward. My knees scrape against gravel and stone, each drag sending a fresh wave of pain shooting through my legs.
He drags me through the empty streets, down backroads, through the woods—toward the south side of the city. Where the forest thickens. Where the howls rise.
Where the pack waits.
By the time we arrive, it's two minutes to midnight. I am bruised. My neck is sore from the chain. My knees are bleeding. My spirit is crushed.
The others are already gathered.
They turn to look.
All eyes on me.
Some sneer. Some smirk. Some look away in pretend pity.
But they all know.
Tonight, like every full moon, I am their entertainment.
As the clock strikes midnight, the air trembles.
One by one, they shift. Bones crack. Fur sprouts. Wolves emerge.
And me?
I stay human. Powerless. Broken.
Marked not by a mate, but by humiliation.
And the night has only just begun.